29. Chapter 29 #3
Elder Beihr interjected. “I’ll be the one to say it; after all, I am the oldest, and I no longer fear returning to the Great Tree.
Her Majesty fails to hear our concerns.” He swung his arm toward the throne.
“Her Majesty does not grace us with her presence. Is that not evidence enough of Her Majesty’s repeated disregard this past half-century? ”
Yareli startled at the realization; the queen was, indeed, not in the reception hall.
The queen’s presence was apparent in the air and in the ground below, but the throne at the far end of the room was empty.
It was the perception of the queen’s magic that had led her afoul. Why was the queen not in attendance?
“For centuries, Her Majesty has declined to bear an heir. Now a threat looms over us, and Her Majesty fails to provide appropriate measures to safeguard our future.” Elder Beihr continued, his cheeks ruddy. A bead of sweat rolled down his balding head.
Elder Zalher nodded in agreement. Lord Endrim looked grim, but there had been a brief flash of annoyance in his eyes when Elder Beihr had spoken. He had gone off-script then, Yareli observed.
“There is no denying there is no heir; however, Her Majesty is a young queen. There is no hurry. Her Majesty’s mother, may she prosper with our ancestors, was older when she conceived,” Augrys retorted.
“The topic of heirs should be avoided as it lacks relevance.” Dragon General Andre nodded. “It is, however, concerning that Her Majesty is not in attendance.”
“Then, let’s end the council,” Tonio drawled. He looked bored, sprawled on his chair as though he was at home and not at an important diplomatic meeting. “We’ve no power to execute any action without Her Majesty present.”
His arrogance was that of a person who could afford to be; he was not afraid of others stomping on him, because he was the one doing the stomping.
Yareli decided she didn’t want to be caught in his path.
Multiple voices spoke up at once. Some argued against Tonio’s proposition; others agreed.
Augrys stayed silent, but his tense shoulders revealed his stress.
She bit her lip. Was this really what he dealt with when he was away from Enchanted Brew?
Guilt struck hard and fast. All those messages, vent and study sessions.
Augrys had entertained every single one of her requests while shouldering his duty’s burden without complaint.
A boom resounded in the reception hall, echoing in the mostly bare room. The curtains slammed shut, throwing them into instant darkness, and Yareli jumped. Torches flared to life at the end of the hall, casting the throne into view.
The Fae Queen, her chin lifted high in the air, stared down at them.
Her dark hair was slicked back behind a crown of jewels, loose waves falling down past her breasts.
She wore a dark green dress that cinched at her waist and fell into lush layers pooling onto the floor.
Her vibrant, green eyes gleamed, and a slow smile crawled onto her face.
“Well, here I am.” Her voice was cold but smooth like honey. “Speak, Elder Beihr, what complaints do you have against my rule?”
He went pale, but to his credit, he spoke evenly. “Your Majesty, you’ve yet to respond to our inquiries regarding the non-aggression decree.”
“I do not waste my time on senselessness. We remain under the decree until further notice.”
If Allyah had stolen a piece of admiration from Yareli, the Fae Queen drew all of her admiration without effort.
“If I may, Your Majesty,” Dragon General Andre said.
“You may.”
“Is there any progress in our historians’ efforts to locate the nox’s origins?”
“We’ve acquired a lead. I am optimistic that it will be fruitful.”
“What about the light devices from the Grand Institute?”
“Still unfruitful.” She tapped her fingers against the throne’s wood. When no one else spoke, she said, “If that is all, then I declare this council adjourned until further notice.”
Yareli’s lips twitched in amusement. The elders and Endrim had been clamoring moments ago, and now, the words had seemingly died in their throats. She wanted to laugh at their cowardice.
Then, a pulse vibrated through the air, reverberating through her bones until they shook.
Pain followed, and she bit down on her tongue, cutting off the yelp that threatened to spill from her.
She tensed her muscles, and sure enough, another pulse came.
It was like a steady gong that only she could hear, except it was silent, and it hurt like a bitch.
The queen stood, momentarily distracting Yareli from the pain.
To her shock, the queen noticed her. The hardness in her eyes softened, almost as if she was surprised at her presence, but then she turned and vanished from the room, and Yareli doubted the interaction had happened.
The curtains drew back, casting them back into the blazing light of the afternoon sun.
She blinked until her vision adjusted, her eyes landing on Tuom.
He glared at her, promising a terrible punishment for her transgression today.
She looked away, in too much pain to care about him.
The pulses stopped, leaving her with the remnants of pain.
It’s here, the female voice whispered.
What is? Yareli asked.
The power you seek.